A major problem associated with the transporting and sorting of flexible sheet material is damage to the sheet material caused by the transporting medium. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,111,410 by Tates et al there is disclosed a sorting apparatus for collating the output of a copying machine in which the copy sheets are redirected from transport rollers to storage bins by individual deflection gates. Likewise, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,371,926 by Anderson there is disclosed a document sorting and distributing apparatus in which the documents are directed into respective storage locations by movable gate members. A disadvantage with these distribution devices is the wear created on the sheet material when a mechanical gate is utilized to redirect the sheet material into a storage location. This wear becomes particularly pronounced when the sheet material is reusable and thus subjected to repeated recycling through the distribution and sorting system.
Other distribution systems utilizing endless belts have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,494,378 by Schmidt; as well as U.S. Pat. No. 2,719,714 by Pratt and U.S. Pat. No. 4,245,835 by Turner.
Distribution and sorting systems which redirect sheet material into storage locations by mechanical displacement of the belts which transport the sheet material are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,111,410 by Tates et al, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,998,453 by Dorer. These systems have a common feature in that an external roller is utilized to displace the transporting belt.